1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a program development support system to generate a target program based on certain program specification data, and particularly relates to a transfer method to transfer the program specification data edited at a terminal to a program specification data file at a host computer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional program development support system, program specification data edited and prepared at a terminal is transferred and stored in a program specification data file in a host computer. The host computer then generates a source program based on the program specification data in the program specification data file by using a source generate means, prepares an object program from the source program by using a compile means, and further prepares an executable program by using a link means.
If any failure occurs during testing of the executable program, the program specification data is, if necessary, transferred from the program specification data file in the host computer to the program specification data file at the terminal so that they can be edited at the terminal for debugging. After editing, the program specification data is transferred to the program specification data file at the host computer for storage.
Conventionally, when the program specification data are transferred from the terminal to the host computer, the data transferred to the host program specification data file in the host computer include both of those updated during editing at the terminal and those without any change.
Since all program specification data including those without any change are thus transferred to the host computer after editing at the terminal, the program specification data is transferred using the communication line even when it has not been updated on the terminal, i.e. when its transfer is not necessary. This increases the number of transfers (and the transferred data amount) for program specification data from the terminal to the host and results in long transfer time and prolonged time required for program development.